9-year-old Las Cruces boy catches 42-pound catfish at Elephant Butte reservoir

LAS CRUCES, New Mexico -- It was a giant catch for a little boy, a fish almost as big as he is.

Alex Flores, who's just 9 years-old, landed the 42-pound blue catfish over the weekend at the Elephant Butte Reservoir.

The father of the fourth-grader at Alameda Elementary School told ABC-7 that Alex has been fishing with him since he was just age one. The big catch happened Sunday evening.

“I was pretty proud of him for being humble about the whole experience. He was excited,” Kris Flores said of his son. “You know, it’s good to see that happen. In a way, I’m kind of sad because he beat me at my own personal record,” the elder Flores added, while chuckling.

Alex named the fish Whale Lord, but his father said he released it back into the reservoir after taking some photos and video.

Ironically, Kris Flores owns a catfishing guide service at Elephant Butte, and he said his son's catch was the biggest of the year there so far.

In case you're wondering, the biggest fish ever reportedly caught in Elephant Butte history was 78 pounds.